A few words, photos, random thoughts shared with my family and friends. If anything you see here makes you laugh or touches you in some way, please leave a comment or send me an email so I know you are out there.

And climb the stairs to the beach...

Sunday, October 09, 2005

"Strange life a dog's," said Jolyon suddenly: "The only four-footer with rudiments of altruism and a sense of God!"

The Forsythe Saga, John Galsworthy

Meet Whiskey Hall-Smith. This is Uncle Alan and Marianne's dog. Actually, Whiskey isn't their dog anymore. She has been adopted by her foster parents, named Smith, after Alan and Marianne made the supreme sacrifice. Knowing that she would be happier running and playing on Prince Edward's Island than in a motor home, last summer, they decided to let her stay on in PEI with their friends. And now that they no longer are the nomads they once were, dogs aren't allowed where they live now. So they had to make the decision to allow her foster parents to make the adoption official. But, they have unlimited visitation privileges and get frequent updates from their friend who takes such good care of her now. They are hoping to see her this weekend while they are in Massachusetts and Whiskey is in New Hampshire visiting other members of her adopted family.

When I did my blogs for dogs I didn't have Whiskey's picture, so she got left out of that day's posting. So today, she has her very own blog. I am sure I have a few pictures of my dog cousin somewhere. But my pictures are not very organized these days. Putting them in order is one of those things I never seem to get to. It was only a couple of years ago that I put Doug and Bill's baby pictures in albums. Considering they are 28 and 29, I guess I can't expect to have pictures from 2 years ago organized. Someday...

Meanwhile, here are a few more lines about man's best friends that all of us who ever loved a dog will find true.

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MEMORIES

"Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends,is that they carry away with them somany years of our lives. Yet, if theyfind warmth therein, who would begrudge them those years that theyhave so guarded?And whatever they take,be sure they have deserved."

--- John Galsworthy

FOUR FEET

I have done mostly what men do,And pushed it out of my mind;But I can't forget, if I wanted to,Four-Feet trotting behind.

Day after day, the whole day through--Wherever my road inclined--Four-Feet said, 'I am coming with you!'And trotted along behind.

Now I must go by some other round--Which I shall never find--Some where that does not carry the soundOf Four-Feet trotting behind.

--- Rudyard Kipling ---

Dog

I talk to him when I'm lonesome,and I'm sure he understands.When he looks at me so attentively,and gently licks my hands;Then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes,but I never say naught there at,For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes,but never a friend like that!"

--W. Dayton Wedgefarth

There is a story told by the American Indians that the Great Spirit decided to dividethe worlds of animal and manso he gathered all the living beings on a great plain and drew a line in the dirt.On one side of the line stood man --- on the other side stood all of the animals.And that line began to open up into a great crevasse - and at the last moment beforeit became unreachable, dog leapt over and stood by man. ~~Unknown

"I have no dog, but it must beSomewhere there's one belongs to me---A little chap with wagging tail,And dark brown eyes that never quail,But look you through, and through, and through,With love unspeakable and true."This Dog Quote From: John Kendrick Bangs'Foothills of Parnassus'

Although this is Whiskey's posting, I can't read these things without thinking of my Propwash Matilda Bonnie Girl. Or just plain Tildy. And as I write I realize we lost her the Sunday before Columbus Day 4 years ago. I still get a lump in my throat sometimes when I think about how I miss her. But so lucky we were to have had her for 13 years. Here's to all our dogs, past, present and future.

I hope you have a great Sunday. Love, Suz

2 comments:

Hi Suzie. I hope my dad didn't guilt you too much into writing about Whiskey, but it's nice to see her looking so good. It was also nice to see a picture of Tildy. I have a couple of photos of her from when my dad and I visited you years ago around Thanksgiving.Heather

I'm reading this on Tuesday eve. Don't know if that means you won't see it, but I'm catching up - we haven't had service at the office during the move and we have none at the Cape. Spent eleven years resisting getting another pooch. Charley is either proof that I should have relented sooner or proof that I resisted just long enough. There is nothing like a good dog.